The shadow over Silver adjusted. A glance showed Fast rearing up to catch an especially large meteor as it plunged towards her. It was too large, too fast, and too powerful, and sent her over backwards to crash to the ground. Smaller rocks began to fall all around them as Celestia glared at Silver.
Silver took a step towards the inferno of Celestia's anger. "I think I see now."
"What do you see?" Celestia snorted out twin gouts of flame. "Some things you can't simply 'fix', Silver."
Silver took another slow step towards her. "You wanted to be the hero."
Celestia flinched, eyes darting away.
"You were waiting for me to break." Silver took another step forward, now mere feet from the dizzying cyclone of heat. A falling stone struck her between the shoulder blades, knocking her to the ground. "You were never going to hurt... him."
Celestia turned back to Silver, tears turning to steam as they left her eyes. "Why can't you ever behave the way I expect?"
Silver smiled through the pain as she forced her way back to her hooves. "You were... there. A little bit of chaos is in there, if it wasn't before."
She struck the ground, and it erupted into fire, melting beneath her power and becoming a pool of magma that spread quickly towards Silver. "Creature of disharmony! Why do you tear me apart?!"
Silver moved as if to advance, but the lava stopped her. Even her fire control would be far from sufficient. "You wanted to be my hero."
Celestia trembled powerfully, but said nothing, glaring at Silver in silent challenge.
"You forgot something."
The princess hissed, "what would that be?"
Silver put a hoof on her chest. "You were my hero before I even got here. Tell me it's over."
"I don't want it to be over!" Her light flared brilliantly and several trees burst into fire like especially large torches. "I will have my own rainbow."
Silver scooted away as the lava advanced towards her. "This contest is over, Celestia, but we aren't. I won't tell Twilight what happened here."
She suddenly advanced towards Silver, carrying the heat and flowing magma with her. "You would threaten me with her censure? My prized student?! My precious little filly."
Night suddenly scooped up Silver and carried her several tens of feet away. "She's no filly, and no more student than any other mare, certainly not yours!"
The words only maddened Celestia, who began to gallop towards them in a tide of heated death. Silver spread her wings and took to flight. "Celestia, these things don't end things, they just change them. I won't fight you."
With a sudden golden glow of her horn, she grabbed Silver out of the air with frightening ease. "Fight, or suffer." She brought Silver down to slam her against the ground, creating a new crater. "Break..."
Night came from the sky and touched off against the magma with a bright flash of earth magic that seemed to propel her back into the sky. Within the flow of heated rock, several great spires of crystal jutted free, surrounding Celestia. The lava seemed to cool a moment before she broke free with almost a shrug, sending the crystal to scatter to the ground around her. Her horn still glowed brightly, and she yanked the limp form of Silver close. "Will you forgive this?"
Silver gave a little smile, her lips bleeding and her form ragged. "If you would accept it."
The heat suddenly broke, and Silver fell to the ground. She could hear Celestia crying softly and looked up to see Celestia with a leg over her face, trying to hide from the overflowing emotions that overwhelmed her.
Night landed beside Silver, who put a hoof on her and used her as support to stand up. "Celestia... Do you love me?"
Celestia looked up from her tears at Silver, frowning a moment before she let out an explosive sigh. "I don't know... You promised me everything... It wasn't your fault that became impossible. You keep trying and trying, even when you fail, you keep trying." She waved a hoof at Silver. "You're not human, not male, not bipedal. You hardly write anymore. You've given up everything that made you what you are. What are you?"
Silver spread her wings stiffly, working against the pain. "I... I'm Silver Stars, and I'll take the paths I want." She reached a hoof towards Celestia. "And I hope you're in them... Please, tell me what happened."
Night put a wing over Silver. "She already has. She wanted to see how you'd break, learn something from it, then come in and rescue you, be the hero, and get closer to you."
Celestia scowled at Night. "Why can't you leave us be?"
Fast landed beside them on feathery wings that melted into her body. "Sorry, we're her mates, so if you want her, you get us. Group deal." She leaned over and nipped one of Silver's ears. "We got her first."
Silver quirked a smile. "Quite true. When were you going to stop this? How long would you have kept me enduring?"
Celestia sagged, her wings touching the ground. "We were fighting one another, without being present. I was so very tempted every day. I think... I would have broken soon. Is your faith in ponies that strong?"
Silver reached out a hoof. "I came for it. I live by it. I've died beside it. How about you?"
Celestia recoiled as if slapped. "Me? You have doubts of my harmony?" All three ponies stared at her silently and she trembled. "I have responsibilities. Everypony looks to me for answers. I have to see beyond the immediate constraints of morality."
Silver shook her head slowly. "We tried that once, together. The result, dead innocents, both on their side, and ours. You tried that today... We can't live above the values we beg others to obey." She reared up and put a hoof to her chest. "Am I still not worthy of being a pony?"
Celestia turned away, ears folded. "You are... a fine pony. But you're not my pony." She rose and turned away, wings going taught.
"Wait!" Silver lunged forward and got her teeth on one of Celestia's wings, biting sharply. She felt the taste of Celestia's blood. It was different than others she'd tried, and it overwhelmed her with its intensity.
Celestia easily drew her wing away from Silver. "Why don't you let me go? You've won, I lost. It's over."
Fast moved beside Silver. "Because this big dummy doesn't want to 'win'."
Night flashed her fangs. "The dope probably wants to roll over and present her belly, if it'd get you to stay and talk."
Silver did just that, flopping over and rolling onto her back. "Please?"
Celestia turned, only to stop and look back at Silver. "I don't... understand you." She sank to her haunches. "I don't understand you, Silver Stars. What do you want?"
Silver reached with her forehooves. "I think you need a hug right now."
Her ears danced and she glanced at Fast and Night. Fast was nodding all too eagerly. Celestia sighed and lifted Silver in her golden magic, pulling her into a gentle embrace. There was peace. There was quiet. They shared heat and squeezed one another, and for a little while, there were no questions to be had from either of them.
Silver nuzzled her cheek gently and smiled. "Now will you do this in the future instead of throwing a test at me?"
Celestia snorted softly. "I don't promise that. Ask Twilight, I love my tests... I'll try to keep them from becoming... this painful."
Night rolled a hoof. "What about the ponies in your little inquisition?"
Celestia's face soured. "You've made quite a mess of my organization."
Silver rolled her eyes. "You're not going to get me to feel guilty. What kind of lies have you been feeding them?"
Celestia put a hoof on Silver's shoulders. "The kind that it would best serve if I return victorious, and you broken."
Silver sagged. "I can play pretend, if it will calm things down and we can get back to living."
"Good." Her voice sounded different. Silver looked up to see she was hugging a changeling, as large as chrysalis, but not exactly her?The insect queen suddenly grabbed Silver at the back of the head and plunged her down to smash against the recently re-frozen rock. Everything went dark for her.
Night flew at the imposter, only for the faux-princess to vanish and appear high in the sky. "I'll be taking her back now, if you please. It will save so much more conflict all around." Her horn glowed sickly green as she yanked Silver up into the sky. Fast tried to yank her back, but the changeling threw off her magic too easily. "Ta ta!" She vanished with the captured Silver.
Night landed in front of Fast, scowling deeply. "What just happened?! That felt like Celestia, and talked like Celestia! Why didn't I see through it?"
Fast quickly shook her head. "That was a queen, like Chrysalis or a few others. There aren't many of them, but they're pretty good at being a changeling." She flashed a smile. "I was one, remember? But, seriously... She knew enough about Celestia... Do you think they're in cahoots?"
Night sighed. "The probabilities are all off the chart. There are too many possibilities and not enough data! We have to find them, but I get the strong suspicion we just need to watch for the news. Silver's going to be paraded for all to see, defeated and broken."
Fast grunted with mounting frustration. "Why?! Silver's been good. He's the best damn husband I ever had, and a good father."
"He?"
Fast shrugged. "Still a he to me... Sorry, nevermind that. Seriously, we have to help her."
Night rose to her hooves. "Hop on. Let's get off this mountain."
Fast circled around Night. "Oh my, right now?" She giggled before she mounted up on Night and hugged her tightly. "Onwards, mighty steed!"
"You're lucky I love you." Night jumped and her wings propelled her into the sky. They raced towards Baltimare, which seemed the closest proper city to where they were. Their mission was far from complete, it seemed.